Raymond Delisle (11 March 1943 – 11 August 2013) was a French professional

road bicycle racer Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most com ...

. His sporting career began with ACBB Paris. He is the only rider to have won a stage of the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

on 14 July, France's national day, while wearing the jersey of national champion.L'Équipe, France, 15 July 2003 Born in Ancteville, Delisle started racing as an amateur in 1961 and won the Tour du Lac Leman classic in 1963 and the national team time-trial championship in 1964, with Jean Jourden. He turned professional in 1965. He rode 12 Tours de France between 1965 and 1977. He won two stages, one in

1969 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...

and one in

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

. He wore the Maillot Jaune as leader of the general classification for two days after his stage win in 1976. His best placings were fourth in 1976 and ninth in 1977. He was national road champion in 1969. He retired in 1977 after 45 professional wins. He owned a hotel in Hébécrevon,

Manche Manche (, ; Norman language, Norman: ) is a coastal Departments of France, French ''département'' in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy on the English Channel, which is known as , literally "the sleeve", in French. Manche is bordered by ...

until his death officially recorded as suicide on 11 August 2013.

Amateur career

Delisle was born on a farm near

Coutances Coutances () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. History The capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town was given the name of ''Constantia'' in 298 during the reign of Roman Emperor Constantius ...

, in

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

.Coups de Pédales, Belgium, November 2005 He had three sisters and it was on a women's bike too large for him that he began riding in the area around the farm. He studied to become a plumber but became an assistant-surveyor, a job which would let him ride to wherever he was working. He joined the local Periers-Sports club in 1959 and won his first race the following season. There were no races for young riders in Normandy and Delisle raced from the start against older and more experienced riders. In 1961 he won the national team time-trial championship at

Compiègne Compiègne (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department of northern France. It is located on the river Oise (river), Oise, and its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois'' (). Administration Compiègne is t ...

in a team that included Jean Jourden, who won that year's world road championship. Compulsory national service enrolled him at the barracks at

Joinville Joinville () is the largest city in Santa Catarina (state), Santa Catarina, in the Southern Brazil, Southern Region of Brazil. It is the third largest municipality in the southern region of Brazil, after the much larger state capitals of Curitib ...

to which many of France's top sportsmen were sent. He joined the AC Boulogne-Billancourt in the capital's north-western suburbs, a club which had supplied riders to the Peugeot professional team. Delisle came third in the 1963 Route de France, one of the country's biggest and hardest stage races. His ride brought selection for the national team in the

Tour de l'Avenir Tour de l'Avenir () is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Felice Gimondi, Joo ...

, a race for amateurs and semi-professionals which rode ahead of the Tour de France on its mountain stages. He finished third behind André Zimmerman and Rolf Maurer. In 1965 he joined the Peugeot team, recommended by

Désiré Letort Désiré Letort (29 January 1943 – 9 September 2012) was a French cyclist. His sporting career began with ACBB Paris. His career best finishes in the Tour de France were 17th in 1971 Tour de France, 1971, 9th in 1969 Tour de France, 1969 and ...

, a colleague in the AC Boulogne-Billancourt.

14 July victory

Delisle won the national championship on a wind-blown circuit at

Soissons Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital ...

in 1969 and on 28 June went to the start of the Tour de France in

Roubaix Roubaix ( , ; ; ; ) is a city in northern France, located in the Lille metropolitan area on the Belgian border. It is a historically mono-industrial Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, depar ...

. He wore not the white and black jersey of

Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French automobile brand owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was established in 1810, making it the oldest car company in the world. On 20 November 1858, Émile Peugeot applie ...

-BP, his sponsor, but the blue, white and red of champion. Peugeot's leader was another Frenchman, Roger Pingeon. Pingeon had won the Tour in 1967 but he was anxious about getting through the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...

in a position to match

Eddy Merckx Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (born 17 June 1945), known as Eddy Merckx (, ), is a Belgian former professional road and track cyclist racer who is the most successful rider in the history of competitive cycling. His victories include an ...

, who had started dominating world cycling. Delisle said of 13 July, the eve of his victory: "Roger wanted me to stay at his side. I was willing to do that but not just as a

domestique In road bicycle racing, a domestique is a rider who works for the benefit of their cycling team, team and leader, rather than trying to win the race. In French, ''domestique'' translates as "servant".However, in French, the term used is ''équip ...

. I got away with Agostinho and Gandarias, and if you think that I didn't lift a finger to help them, you're right. But even so, Roger felt threatened and, when we were caught, he gave me a good talking-to (''un bon gifle''). That evening, I ate all alone, in a corner; you get the picture?" Delisle felt the only way to save his honour was to win a stage, and next day — France's national day – he attacked from the start. A British rider,

Barry Hoban Barry Hoban (5 February 1940 – 19 April 2025) was an English professional cyclist who rode during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He formerly held the record for the most stage wins in the Tour de France by a British rider, winning eight betw ...

, went with him but dropped off on the col de Mente. Both Merckx and the Dutch rider,

Jan Janssen Johannes Adrianus "Jan" Janssen (born 19 May 1940) is a Dutch former professional cyclist. He was UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race, world champion and winner of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, the first Dutch rider ...

, set off in chase but Delisle still had 23 seconds over Janssen when the stage finished at Luchon after 199 km. Delisle said: "Accounts had been settled and, that evening, Roger congratulated me. We became good friends and we never mentioned the incident again." At the finish, the television commentator, Léon Zitrone, asked Delisle: "How are you, Rouget?" Delisle laughed and answered: "Yes, I am in

Rouget de Lisle Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle (; 10 May 1760 – 26 June 1836) was a French army officer of the French Revolutionary Wars. Lisle is known for writing the words and music of the , which would later be known as and become the French national anthe ...

's will and I get royalties every time they play the

Marseillaise "La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. It was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by the First French Republic against Austria, and was originally titled "". The French Nati ...

. Delisle had won as national champion on 14 July and Zitrone had punned by referring to him not as Raymond but Rouget, Rouget de Lisle being the composer of the ''Marseillaise'', the national anthem.

Style

The writer Jean-Luc Gatellier said of Delisle that "he was a creative, a puncher-climber, a Manchot who didn't lack the legs to push big gears, sitting on the nose of his upward-pointing saddle. And, in fact, a rider impossible to categorise, neither a leader nor a team rider, but a man of July who mattered to the Tour de France."C'était un créatif, un puncheur-grimpeur, un Manchot qui ne manquait pas de jambes pour emmener de gros braquets, assis sur un bec de selle incliné. Et, en fin de compte, un coureur inclassable, ni leader ni équiper, mais un homme de juillet qui comptait pour-le-Tour de France.

Assessment

Arsène Maulave of the Belgian magazine, ''Coups de Pédale'', wrote: :We expected a new head of French cycling in 1970, Anquetil having retired, but he elislewasn't cut out to give orders, not having the soul of a leader. He had, of course, shown his talent. He had won soundly and intelligently, but he remained above all an exemplary team-mate for Pingeon and then for Thévenet. Raymond belongs to the history of the famous team with the chequered band reference to the Peugeot team's jersey to which he often brought honour. Foreign teams solicited him, notably Italian ones, but he stayed loyal to Peugeot because he liked the atmosphere there.

Retirement

Delisle won the Polymultipliée and a criterium at Lescouet-Jugon in his last season, 1977. He also came ninth in the Tour de France and fifth in the season-long Prestige Pernod, forerunner of the World Cup. He had ridden 47,654 km and 250 stages in the Tour. He retired at the end of that season and began selling bicycles under his own name. He and his wife, Mireille, then bought a 16th-century manor house at Hébecrevon, which they ran as a hotel.

Major results

;1964 : national amateur team-trial championship (with Jean Jourden) ;1965 :Hénanbihen ;1966 :Brionne :Hyères :Lescouet-Jugon ;1967 :Munneville ;1968 :Poullalouen :Sizun :Saint-Brice-en-Coglès :Biot ;1969 :Antibes :Tour de l'Hérault :Saint-Brieuc : Polymultipliée : national road championship :

: ::Winner stage 16 :Le Mesnilbus :Patay ;1970 :Circuit des genêts verts :Commentry :Maël-Pestivien :Trophée d'Europe de la Montagne ;1971 :Camors ;1972 :Camors ;1973 :Jurançon :Nice ;1974 :

Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...

::Winner stage 10A ;1975 :Draguignan – Seillans :Henon :

Genoa–Nice Genoa–Nice was a professional cycle race held as a single-day race between Genoa, Italy and Nice, France. It was first held in 1910 and held for the final time in 1975. In 1961 and 1962 it was part of the Super Prestige Pernod The Super Prest ...

: Tour du Haut Var ;1976 :Putanges :Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise :Plessala :

: ::Winner stage 12 ::Wearing

yellow jersey The general classification of the Tour de France is the most important classification of the race and determines the winner of the race. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification has worn the yellow jersey ( ). History For the first t ...

for two days ::4th overall ::Winner combativity award ;1977 : Trophée des Grimpeurs :

: ::9th overall

References

External links

*
Official Tour de France results for Raymond Delisle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Delisle, Raymond 1943 births 2013 deaths French male cyclists French Tour de France stage winners French Vuelta a España stage winners Cyclists from Manche 2013 suicides 20th-century French sportsmen